Misgivings
by Berry's Ambitions
Summary: [One-shot set after The Return of Harmony] The moment Celestia sees him, encased in stone once more, she finds herself - unsurprisingly - full of regret. [Implied Discord/Celestia]


_**Misgivings**_

_**By Berry's Ambitions**_

**A/N: For my first MLP:FiM fic I've decided to write for my favourite pairing. This is an idea I've had in mind for the longest time, and at last I decided that it can't hurt to give it a shot. Please go easy on me if anything is off - like I said, I've never written for this fandom or group of characters before. Please enjoy regardless!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own _My Little Pony_.**

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Princess Celestia is not a mare to be trifled with.

Everypony knows that. She is the one who holds the power of the sun. She is the one who defeated Nightmare Moon with no help other that of the Elements of Harmony. She has gotten Equestria through countless hardships for millennium after millennium, if not longer. It's hard to keep track of time at this point.

And despite all this, there is one being who still dares trifle with her.

This is a topic Celestia mulls over as she arrives in Ponyville.

The first thing she notes is that everything seems to have returned to normal; this can only mean one thing.

Celestia's gaze next lands on Twilight Sparkle, who returns it after a swift bow.

Her pupil is clearly exhausted, but manages a weary smile. She's happy that they'd won, but isn't gloating about it. Not that Celestia expected such behavior from the unicorn in the first place, of course. She sweeps her vision across the other five ponies, resting briefly on the sensitive Fluttershy, and concludes that they all share the same feelings.

At long last, Celestia stares at _him._

Or at least, the petrified version of him. Looking at the draconequus statue lying helplessly on his side, his expression that of pure horror, Celestia is unable to stifle a pang of grief at the sight of her former partner.

It only takes seconds for that grief to morph into unadulterated fury.

Celestia keeps her expression neutral; she suspects kicking the statue will frighten Twilight and her friends.

She's not only deeply angry over his decisions - both the recent and not-so-recent ones - but over the fact he has once again managed to upset her.

Celestia can barely remember a time where he _wasn't_ a part of her life in some way. They had ruled together, once upon a time. All three of them. A trio that had experienced too much love, happiness and loss for Celestia to add up. And through it all, that awful chaos had been brewing inside him. Celestia isn't sure which of her emotions is most prominent - the sorrow, the rage, or the disappointment.

Appearence-wise, he doesn't look very different from what Celestia last recalls. Same snaggle tooth. Same mismatched body parts. His eyes, once bright yellow and mischievous, are unseeing once more. Looking into them, however, Celestia is beginning to realize just how devastating Discord's last moments of freedom were for him. _He must have made a final effort to defend himself,_ she thinks. And there is no doubt that he'd failed, just like the first time. Celestia is unnerved by the prickles of sympathy that blossom inside her chest as she considers this.

Abruptly his names shoots through her thoughts. It's as unwelcome as his initial appearance earlier that day... or was it yesterday? Thanks to Discord's foolish toying with the sun and moon, she has no idea.

There it is. _Discord._ The word she's been trying to block out for a thousand years now.

The words he uttered not too long ago in Canterlot Tower ring through her mind.

_"Did you miss me, Celestia? I missed **you."**_

_Look at me!_ she wants to yell the statue. Celestia is still angry, of course, but her sadness is becoming more defined with every passing second. _Why don't you stand up and fight?_

Of course, they all know the answer to that.

It pains her to admit, but viewing Discord in such a state is disturbing. To see him with such a look of fear and despair on his face. Anyone who'd met Discord, even as briefly as the six had, knew that this was simply _not_ something he'd allow anyone to witness.

Celestia continues to stare into the statue's eyes, and for a while she's quite sure Discord truly _is_ looking back at her.

She waits for the righteous fury from earlier to return.

It doesn't.

Instead, Celestia is overwhelmed by an ache she is all too familiar with. The knowledge that no matter how hard she tries, she simply cannot save something. It disgusts her, really. It isn't as if Discord _wants_ to be saved. Why waste her pity on him? If anything, Celestia should be fussing over the damage he inflicted above all else.

This moment may have lasted a minute or two in reality, but to Celestia it was at least ten. Hesitantly, she nudges Discord with her front hoof.

After her suspicions are confirmed, she turns back to the other mares. A cocktail of emotions greet her, and she knows right then that Discord has taken a toll on them.

The conversation that follows is brief. She asks them if they are alright, sincerely thanks them for their efforts, and promises to have a proper celebration for their victory as soon as manageable. She apologizes one final time for any distress they'd experienced at Discord's hands and departs, taking the statue with her.

Now standing in her garden, Celestia looks upon her rival for the final time.

_All is right again,_ she tells herself. _Balance has been restored, and Discord is back where he belongs._

Before she leaves, however, the alicorn can't help asking herself the same question that's been bothering her for one millennium now.

If there could have been another way.

**~The End~**


End file.
